T H E M O N T H LY
#ISSUE 08
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APRIL 2019
A NOTE FROM COLE: START ACTING LIKE A BABY!
As adults, every single day we are holding ourselves back.
Lacey is now 18 months and as her “personality” begins to show more and more I find myself thinking to myself more often: “quit acting like a baby!”
We constantly are telling ourselves NO...even when we don’t realize it.
...of course I then quickly remind myself that she is still a baby and this is all part of parenting :) But the truth is, these “babies” and crazy kiddos actually can teach us a lot.
“No, I’m not good enough.” ... “No, I don’t have time.” ... “No, that won’t ever work.” ...and the list goes on. Babies don’t act this way. They take life on with gusto and are motivated to try new things and simply just explore life. ...and because of this they ultimately become quick learners and discover life in a completely different way than we “adults” do. They aren’t afraid of following a “walk vs run” mentality... heck, they are the ones who invented it! In closing, can we all start acting like babies a little bit more? Go ahead, write out your “no” list with all of the things you constantly tell yourself... then you should rip it up and throw it away and make a new list of things you will TRY for the first time. Push yourself just a bit and get comfortable with the uncomfortable and quit acting like such an adult all the time! ;)
In fact, in many areas of life, we should probably quit acting like an adult and start acting like a baby!
Cole
WHAT’S WORKING: COMMUNITY BRAINSTORM RECAP B Y K AT E G U E R T I N
KICKING FEAR TO THE CURB! This month, Mentor Kelly Acs is leading an inspiring self help breakout on overcoming fears in your business and in keeping with this theme, our group has been thinking up some of the best ways to cope and overcome your fear and anxiety when it comes to making moves in your life and business! For me, lists help a TON, not only with organization and getting $h*t done, but with kicking that “I’m overwhelmed, I can’t do this, there’s not enough of me to go around, I suck, I’m going to fail� feeling.
PRODUCT CREDIT WINNERS: G A B BY G O M E Z ZEE BEE
For others it might be evening meditation. An awesome podcast or audio book (hello Rachel Hollis!) or a daily gym sesh a la Cole! đ&#x;˜? Whatever you do, face your fear head on, in a full blown battle of the wills and remember, it’s only as powerful as you let it be. Let’s face it, fear, stress and anxiety are like their very own mean girls club, and it’s just an act! Here’s some of our members’ best ideas on kicking fear to the curb!
1. VISUAL REMINDERS
CLICK TO GET ACCESS TO KELLY’S BREAKOUT!
Keep a list of encouraging images and snapshots of praise for my images where you can see it every day! Visualizing the positive will help keep those negative fearful thoughts and imagery out of your mind!
photographers is a good place to start!
2. TAKE A LOOK BACK
5. LEAN ON YOUR VILLAGE!
Remind yourself how far you’ve come! Sure you may not be Ana Brandt just yet, but taking a look back on some of your very first photos and some of your most recent ones might spark some pride and renewed sense of purpose in your photography journey...every step forward counts!
We’ve all heard the saying about parenting that “it takes a village�! It’s honestly true of starting a small business too. No one gets there in a day, and no one gets there alone. We all need support from family, friends and the community along the way. Having an off day? Get your head in the game by soliciting a little pep talk from someone you’re close to, your husband, mom, bestie. Small business associations with other local small business owners can be another great place to seek advice and commiserate about your struggles!
3. BRIBE YOURSELF! On days when I’m feeling especially unmotivated, thanks to fear, anxiety, or even pure laziness I hold something out in front of myself I really want (for me it’s a starbucks iced caramel macchiato! Yum!) Deal is, I only get it once I complete the attainable goal I set forward for myself for the day!
4. AFFIRMATIONS Say it and it will be so! Try repeating some positive affirmations in the morning to kickstart your attitude in an anti-fear direction. This video of positive affirmations for
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T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
Fear is natural, and in many parts of our life important (if you didn’t fear pain for example you’d probably make a lot of reckless decisions that would land you in the emergency room!) But in business, fear usually just holds us back. So employ some of your best fear banishing defenses and say “goodbye fear� and “hello success!�
GEAR HIGHLIGHT B Y K E L LY A C S
H I G H P E R FO R M A N C E H A B I TS BY BRENDAN BURCHARD
Just hear me out… If you’re anything like me, you get absorbed by the newest gear, or things you perceive as necessary to take better photos. And all that stuff is great. But what’s even better, is self awareness and business knowledge that will actually get your MORE face time with clients (meaning more onthe-job training to take better photos). I’ve come to realize that all of those “things” were merely distractions from focusing on my business and how to make an impact on my clients. So this month isn’t about the newest lens, or something that’s going to help you take those perfect IG selfies. It’s about a piece of gear that’s going to help you get out of your own way. The book, High Performance Habits, by Bredon Burchard is a game changer. He covers fear, getting clear on your mission, setting goals, overcoming procrastination, REAL LIFE TECHNIQUES that work.
CLICK TO GRAB THIS BOOK NOW!
T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
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THIS MONTH’S PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS THEME: MOTION
1 S T P L A C E : L O R Y N PAY N E V I E W E R ’ S C H O I C E AWA R D : B A I L E Y B E C K FINALISTS: A R I A N A YO U M A N S
CYN ROSS DEREK PHILLIPS KAREN CLARK
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T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
K R I S TA LO U I S A B E D FO R D M E G A N A L- H A S S A N I NIKKI GELD
R E B E K A H FAW C E T T R YA N L A P O S K Y SARAH SMALL TA B I T H A R O S S M A N TR ACY K ABACK
BAILEY BECK : VIEWER’S CHOICE
A R I A N A YO U M A N S CYN ROSS
T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
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DEREK PHILLIPS
K R I S TA
LO U I S A B E D FO R D M E G A N A L- H A S S A N I
NIKKI GELD
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KAREN CLARK
T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
R E B E K A H FAW C E T T
TA B I T H A R O S S M A N R YA N L A P O S K Y
TR ACY K ABACK SARAH SMALL
T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
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5 TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS IN A NEW AREA B Y B E T S Y D AV I S
Starting your photography business from the ground up can feel like an intimidating task. Whether you have just moved to a new city, or even if you haven’t moved but are looking to grow your business right where you are, it can be challenging. I began my photography business in the Fall of 2014, only to move to a new city just months later where I had to start again from scratch. There are a few things I focused on as I worked to build a successful family photography business over the last 2 years, and I wanted to share them with you! Understanding a few key steps to growing your photography business in a new area will set you up for success.
UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE One of the first things you should do when you’ve moved to a new area is make sure your website is updated with your new location. You’ll also want to start adding and updating the text, keywords and Alt text on your site to include your new area. Including wording like “[Your City, State] Family Photographer” or “[Local Park Name] Family Photos in [Your City, State]” in your blog post titles or in the Alt text for your images will help you come up in Google searches so that people can find you!
RESEARCH YOUR MARKET It will be important for you to do some research of other photographers in your area and use their price points as a baseline to see where you might “fit” within the local market. This is not to say that you should compete 100% on price, but you must allow your market to tell you what people are willing to pay for your services, especially when you are new to the market. As you build your demand and prove your worth, you are better able to command higher price points.
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T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
BUILD THAT PORTFOLIO Whether you have been taking photos for years, or are just starting out, we all need to build our portfolio. Before I moved, I had already done all of my “portfolio building” sessions, but I opted to do a few more in my new city. Why? Because this was a great way to get my work out there in a new place, and the special rate I gave to my portfolio building clients was a low-risk way for them to “try out the new girl in town.” Getting a couple of sessions under my belt allowed me to get the exposure I needed, and got some buzz going in my new area. Tell everyone you know that you are open for business and looking to take photos. You might consider creating a special package for the first 3-5 people that book with you. Use those sessions to blow them away with a great experience and coach them into marketing for you by telling their friends to help you spread the word.
FOCUS ON CLIENT EXPERIENCE One of the BEST things you can do is give your client’s an experience that will blow them away. Focus on going above and beyond for them so they can’t help but share with all of their friends how amazing it was to work with you. Think of small ways to serve your clients well, whether it’s taking bottles of water and bug spray with you to a hot family session, or sticking some extra hand warmers in your pocket for cold hands during winter sessions. Kind, unexpected gestures show that you care. It really is true that a little thoughtfulness goes a long way!
PATIENCE IS KEY One of the most important things to remember when you are growing your business is that nothing happens overnight. When you begin to feel discouraged, keep in mind that it takes TIME. But even just one referral can spur your business forward, so never underestimate the power of one client, one review, one session. Every little piece of this process matters. Growing your photography business in a new area is not a task for the faint of heart, but it isn’t an impossible feat. With a little patience and these tips under your belt, you can be taking in clients in no time! T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
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PHOTO CONTEST WINNER HIGHLIGHT:
LORYN PAYNE BY E D E L C L A R K
HOW’D YA WIN IT? (IN A MINUTE!) HEY LORYN! CONGRATS ON BEING THE PHOTO CONTEST WINNER! TO START, COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF? LET’S GET TO KNOW YOU A LITTLE BETTER! I grew up as the middle of three kids in a small farm town called, Pumpkin Hook, New York. I married my husband, Matt, in 2009 (10 years ago! Yikes)--we dated in junior high school and reconnected after college and the rest is history. We’ve lived together in New York, Colorado (which we desperately miss) and currently live in the suburbs of Chicago in Illinois. I have three children ages 5 years, 4 years, and 8 months! Our family loves to camp--we just bought a pop-up camper for all of our family adventures. This feels more like “glamping” to us. When we were first married, Matt and I traveled around with our backpacks hiking wherever we could, pitching our two person tent in the middle of the wilderness somewhere. My favorite backpacking adventure was down the Grand Canyon, camping for a night, and then hiking out the next day. WHAT A LOVE STORY! YOUR ADVENTURES, WITH KIDS IN TOW, SOUNDS SO ROMANTIC! AND YOU GOT PICS OF THE GRAND CANYON RIGHT?! SO NEXT QUESTION - WHAT TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY DO YOU DO? My style of photography is more of a lifestyle approach. I bought my first DSLR when my son was born and really started to focus on developing my skill in 2017 when I committed to a 365 project--which I actually completed! At the completion of my project, I realized I loved documenting life just as it is--noticing light and capturing the ordinary moments in compelling ways. I only started the business side of things in January of 2018 after I was confident I had a product I was proud to offer, and am still figuring out what avenue I want to pursue--what fits me and my family the best. To this point I’ve done family, seniors, newborns, and milestone sessions. This March I just shot my first solo wedding and I can honestly say I fell in love with wedding photography. It seems to fit my love for documenting moments in captivating ways while also including portrait and detail photography. I really want to hone in my business so I can be exceptional in one area rather than trying to do all different types just so I can have work. THAT’S ACTUALLY A GREAT ETHOS TO HAVE LORYN - SPECIALISING IN ONE AREA MAKES YOU MORE ATTRACTIVE TO CLIENTS AS AN “EXPERT” IN THAT PARTICULAR FIELD OF PHOTOGRAPHY. WHAT A JOURNEY YOU’VE HAD IN JUST TWO SHORT YEARS! SO WHEN DID YOU ACTUALLY JOIN US HERE AT CCPROS? I have been a CCPRO member for just over a year. I am a premium member. I love the accessibility to the mentors and all the questions they are quick to answer. There is so much information in Cole’s Classroom I could be busy every day learning something new. I try and focus on one skill at a time--business or craft related and find a course in CC and delve in. There is an answer for EVERYTHING.
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T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
WE TRY OUR BEST! I’M SO GLAD YOU’VE FELT THE BENEFITS OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP - AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF HOW MUCH YOUR ARE IMPLEMENTING WHAT WE TEACH HERE TO ROCK IT IN YOUR BUSINESS! I GUESS IT’S TIME TO GET DOWN TO THE MATTER IN HAND - THE WINNING PHOTO! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THIS PHOTO CAME ABOUT? This photo is of my now 4 year old. We were visiting my parents in NY and I had to cancel a golden hour family session because it was pouring down rain. I was really bummed because it was my last day with a rented 70-200mm 2.8 lens and I didn’t think I was
going to be able to play with it anymore before it was due back at FedEx. Miraculously, the rain cleared but the clouds stayed. It was the most beautiful golden light I’d seen. My kids are pretty accustomed to my camera adventures (we go “Chasing the Sun” often), so bribing my girl with a chocolate bar, she headed outside with me to the parking lot across the street to puddle jump. I just told her to jump in the puddles. As she played, I played. Usually I just give them a prompt and watch them go. And this one was perfect!! THIS PHOTO REALLY IS PERFECTION! WE ALL LOVED IT - AND IT TRULY ENCOMPASSED WHAT WE SAY ABOUT “PLAY OVER POSING” IN EVERY WAY. WAY TO GO FOR SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY AND CREATING SOMETHING AWESOME! SO HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU REALISED YOU HAD WON THIS MONTH’S PHOTO CONTEST? I immediately sent the photo to my husband. And my mom. And my sister. And, well, just about everyone. Ha! I was thrilled. I was over the moon because it confirms that I’m making progress!!
FIND LORYN ONLINE:
I THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE EXACTLY THE SAME THING!! OK - TOUGHER QUESTION THIS TIME. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITH PHOTOGRAPHY TO DATE? I think the two biggest things are COMPARISON and DIRECTION. Comparison: There are incredible photographers who all have a great eye; it’s easy to get lost on instagram and think, “Wow, I’ll never be that good,” and just spend time sulking. When I get in this mindset, I go back and look at my photo book from my 365 project and remind myself how far I’ve come. As long as I’m picking up my camera, each time I’m improving and it encourages me that I can continue to grow. I want to look back at my photos of today, one year from now and see progress. Direction: Early on I struggled to find my style and figure out what my passion is. Sometimes I find myself going a thousand different directions, not doing anything particularly well. Using a planner has really helped me in this area. Also, figuring out that I want to focus my energy on becoming a wedding photographer feels relieving because now I can confidently focus on building a wedding photography business and keep moving forward in that direction. ANY WORDS OF ADVICE TO OUR NEWBIES IN THE GROUP, OR TO THOSE THAT HAVEN’T YET ENTERED A PHOTO CONTEST OF ANY KIND YET? Oh my gosh. Just enter! I was a part of many different photography groups who have weekly or monthly competitions. I almost always enter a photo. I look back now and think, “Oh my word, what was I thinking, that photo was TERRIBLE.” But the contests push me to create and to try and to be confident in my work and get it out in the world! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US LORYN - AND THAT BEAUTIFUL IMAGE! AND I AGREE WITH YOUR FINAL SENTIMENT PUSHING OURSELVES OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE, AND PUBLICLY SHARING OUR WORK, MAKES US GROW AND PROGRESS! WITH CHANGES TO THE SITE THIS MONTH, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED A DISTINCT LACK OF PHOTO CONTEST - BUT DON’T WORRY… STAY TUNED FOR SOME EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS COMING YOUR WAY! (AND IN THE MEANTIME, MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT JENN’S WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE IN THE FB GROUP!)
WEBSITE FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM T H E M O N T H LY S N A P S H O T
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PHOTO TIP OF THE MONTH A RT I C L E & I M AG E S BY E D E L C L A R K
HOW TO USE A FLASH BUT KEEP THAT NATURAL LIGHT LOOK! So many of us “Natural Light Photographers” literally shiver when the suggestion of using a flash in low light conditions is brought up. “But I’m a NATURAL light photographer! I don’t need to learn how to use one of those things! I simply CHASE THE LIGHT!” -Except sometimes, chasing the light looks similar to when you fake throw a bone for your dog and they look around aimlessly, running in different directions only to stop and look confused (And don’t ask me how I know what a confused expression looks like on a dog - you’d know it if you ever saw it!)
Flash doesn’t need to be scary - it has less options than a washing machine and we all know how to use one of those, right? (Ok maybe bad example - Disclaimer: I know 2 cycles on my washer; the rest could literally do ANYTHING…. I have no clue.) But FLASH well, that really is a simple learning curve. Flash goes up in power in fractions, so 1/128th is pretty weak, low power, and then it will go up in increments, such as 1/64th, 1/32nd, and sub-increments within those, until full power is reached at 1/1. Another option on a flash is the zoom - this works similarly to a camera zoom, in that the closer you zoom in, the further that light will travel -but with that, the narrower the spread of light will become. And then your modes - Manual mode - you control what flash settings you need. Slave mode - when that flash is actually going to be triggered by ANOTHER flash going off. And ETTL mode - which is a little like Auto ISO in that the flash judges the level of light hitting the lens of the camera and adjusts its power accordingly. And that’s really it for Flashguns/speedlights. But how do you make your images less FLASHY and more NATURAL? Simple! You find the BALANCE between low power flash, and raising your ISO to compensate. Seems strange doesn’t it? But raising your ISO a little won’t create masses of grain; the flash not only freezes motion, but it allows the camera to focus faster and easier, resulting in a sharper image overall.
So here’s the thing - I TOTALLY claim to be a natural light photographer. But what am I, when that light is nowhere to be found? When the weather report has misreported, or when that mom fails to disclose on her questionnaire for her in-home lifestyle newborn session that her “home” is actually more like a crypt with curtains.
So for a natural look with studio lighting technical finesse, try starting your flash on low power, such as 1/32nd, manual mode, and set your ISO at around 160 to begin. Set your aperture - and remember closing down the aperture will also make your images darker, and take a test shot. And remember, shutter speed will have a max sync speed of around 1/200th before a black line (or Sync curtain) appears. Then just have FUN playing around with a balance of ISO and Flash power until you have a look that you love!
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PRO MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
KELLEE HANN WHERE I CALL HOME: Fargo, ND YEARS I’VE BEEN IN BUSINESS: Five months MY NICHE / WHAT I SPECIALIZE IN: I looooooove lifestyle, but have been having so much fun with my mini’s and play date sessions. WHY I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY: I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember, basically. The fact that you can “lose yourself” in a beautiful photo...just like when reading a good book. It’s an escape and an adventure and love diving in and thinking about the story it’s telling. At 42 years old, I’m FINALLY following a 30+ year dream. ONE CHALLENGE IN MY BUSINESS THAT I’VE OVERCOME: Doing my first event! I was supposed to rent lighting equipment from a fellow photog and she was going to show me how to use it. I messaged her to confirm on the Monday of the Saturday event and she couldn’t help, due to a family emergency. I contacted four other local photogs and nobody was able to help me on such short notice. I ordered my lighting online, received it all Thursday, set it up and learned how to use it. Thankfully, we have so many wonderful members here as they helped me figure out that I had my receivers on backwards! I did the event and everything went smoothly and the photos turned out AMAZING! (For it being my first event, anyway!) ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT COLE’S CLASSROOM IS: THE MENTORS and the MEMBERS. EVERYONE is soooooo HELPFUL!! The minute I joined I could see what an AMAZING COMMUNITY that has been built here. I’ve done so many hours of videos that are available and priceless, but it’s the people that have pulled me UP and helped me grow my skills so much! I hear all the time...”I can’t believe how you’ve gotten so good so fast!” CC is 100% my secret weapon! 3 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME: 1. I have a 21, 19, 4 and 2 year old. Met the love of my life on Match.com and we both started all over again. 2. I was related to Cindy Herron of EnVogue for a minute. 3. I have a REALLY wide tongue.
FIND KELLEE ONLINE:
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BACKSTAGE PASS EPISODE 6
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